"Hey!"
"Can't you two save the flirting for later?"
From behind, Taki mumbled, feeling her mood sour.
Lately, she'd been on edge due to the closing of the Amarillo restaurant.
And now, on Valentine's Day, these two were flaunting their affection right in front of her!
Were they doing this on purpose to upset her?
...
"What's the matter?"
"Jealous?"
Zane turned around, grinning.
"Sometimes I wish you were mute. No, a hideous, useless fool!"
Taki glared at him, fuming but helpless.
"Hehe."
"I wish you'd act a bit more ladylike."
Zane shrugged.
"What do you mean by that?"
Taki face heated up, and she stomped her foot, turning away in frustration.
Nearby, Sonoka, feeling a bit embarrassed, snuck glances at the two of them, secretly smiling.
As a long-time "girlfriend," she knew some of Taki's thoughts. Ever since she started working at the tavern, she'd developed feelings for Zane.
...
Another beautiful evening.
With the preliminary round over, some contestants found themselves with free time and decided to visit the tavern.
As soon as the doors opened, the first guests were three residents from the Polar Star Dormitory:
Megumi, Yuuki, and Ryoko.
Yuuki was carrying two chickens with their legs tied together.
These chickens had plump bodies, glossy feathers, bright eyes, and red combs, looking quite majestic.
"Zane."
"Long time no see!"
Seeing a familiar face, Yuuki was particularly excited and greeted him first.
"You three are early tonight?"
Zane quickly brewed three cups of hot ginger tea and brought them over.
"The preliminaries just ended, and we wanted to ask for your advice. Here, Zane, guess what breed of chicken this is?"
Yuuki lifted the chickens in front of Zane, making them sway.
"Three-yellow chicken!"
With just a glance, Zane answered calmly.
"You actually know?"
Yuuki's expression showed slight surprise.
But then she remembered that Zane was from China, and the three-yellow chicken was a renowned breed from southern China, so it made sense he'd recognize it.
...
Three-yellow chicken, a famous local breed.
It's called "three-yellow" because of its yellow feathers, yellow beak, and yellow legs.
Typically, an adult male three-yellow chicken weighs about 2 kilograms, while a female weighs about 1.3 kilograms.
Tender.
Thin-skinned.
Moderate intramuscular fat.
Delicious and nutritious.
It contains high levels of linoleic acid and mustard oil, as well as umami and sweet amino acids.
Thus, three-yellow chicken has gained global recognition.
As people's living standards improved and the demand for meat chickens increased, poultry scientists used modern genetic breeding principles and techniques to cultivate and breed the three-yellow chicken.
Yuuki, skilled with wild ingredients, saw the advantages of the three-yellow chicken and chose it for her preliminary dish!
However.
Using three-yellow chicken for braised chicken.
In the end, it wasn't enough to make it to the top eight!
...
The two three-yellow chickens.
Both had bright red combs and lively eyes.
Although their legs were tied by Yuuki, making them unable to move or escape, they still looked strong and healthy.
"Raised by yourself?"
Zane asked, his eyes showing approval.
"Yes, what do you think? Are they good quality?"
Yuuki smiled.
"Not bad!"
Zane replied.
Preparing ingredients and then handing them to him to cook was not a first. For example, Rindo's bear paw and crocodile.
So, understanding the situation, Zane didn't say much and started preparing the braised chicken as Yuuki requested.
...
First, soak in cold water with some cooking wine for an hour.
Then take them out and clean thoroughly, especially inside the chickens.
Chickens naturally have a mild odor.
The braising liquid's recipe includes ingredients to remove odors, so there's no need to blanch.
After soaking and drying, they're ready to braise.
Take broth, add Zane's special braising spice bag, salt, oil, maltose, gardenia, Sichuan pepper, and dried chili.
Boil on high heat, then simmer for 40 minutes to complete the braising liquid.
Add ginger and garlic, cooking wine, and the prepared chickens into the braising liquid.
Turn off the heat and soak for 60 minutes, then remove the chickens, completing the braised chicken preparation.
...
The waiting Yuuki, Megumi, and Ryoko.
Sat at the table, eyes fixed on the plate of braised chicken.
Yuuki was the first to react, gulping, then eagerly tore off a drumstick and began eating!
Through careful braising.
The chicken's flavor had penetrated deep.
Every bite offered a rich, satisfying taste.
The meat was tender and juicy, the unique braising sauce perfectly blending with the chicken, making the taste buds dance.
Crispy skin with tender, juicy meat inside made it simply:
Delicious!
Though drumsticks are usually the tastiest part of the chicken.
Making them so flavorful, enhancing their quality, Yuuki admitted she wasn't at this level yet.
...
"Zane, why does your braised chicken taste better?"
Wiping her mouth, Yuuki looked at him expectantly.
"Hm?"
"That's normal, isn't it?"
"A chef's skill certainly affects the taste!"
Zane chuckled, replying.
"But during the preliminaries, I used the same three-yellow chicken. Even the spices followed the traditional Chinese eight-spice braising method!"
"I don't know why I… I didn't make it."
Yuuki's once bright eyes dimmed as she spoke.
She thought her braised chicken was quite good, so why didn't she make it to the top eight?
"Logically."
"The traditional eight spices perfectly match the chicken's characteristics."
"Braised chicken should be flavorful and delicious."
"But why doesn't the eight-spice and old broth method achieve the desired result?"
"I think it's the spice ratio."
"Chefs who know the authentic ratio don't reveal it easily."
"Those who don't."
"Mostly rely on their imagination to mix."
"Grabbing spices haphazardly causes poor flavor."
"Secondly, spice quality matters. Each spice's origin, maturity, and storage affect quality!"
"To make good braised chicken, you need to learn and understand the basics of spices."
"Only by knowing spices' properties and quality can you create a blend that complements the chicken."
...
Talking a lot.
But to Yuuki, it was valuable advice.
Now she realized her braised chicken focused too much on the chicken's quality and preparation, neglecting the spice blend.
"How can I balance the chicken and spices?"
Yuuki asked again, unable to resist.
"Speaking of the chicken."
"The saying 'To make braised chicken fragrant, rely on eight spices and old broth' is simple."
"The key is whether the braised chicken highlights the chicken's natural flavor."
"If braised chicken doesn't bring out the chicken's aroma and taste."
"It can't be considered good."
"And the chicken's flavor depends on the quality."
"So, back to the earlier topic, quality is most important. If marinated, some flavor is lost, affecting the final aroma."
"In short, spices only enhance and remove residual odors."
"They don't determine the chicken's flavor!"
"Understanding this helps balance the two."
Zane shared his thoughts.
...
"This method seems useful!"
Listening carefully, Yuuki's eyes brightened, and she understood.
"Overall, the eight-spice and old broth method isn't wrong."
"But braised chicken involves many factors. If spice ratio, quality, and chicken quality change, how do you maintain the traditional flavor?"
"Clearly, many chefs don't think this through."
"They just follow the recipe without innovation, failing to achieve the desired taste and backfiring!"
"Right!"
"Exactly!"
"I made those mistakes."
Enlightened, Yuuki finally realized her problem.
"Zane, you're amazing."
"Your insights and knowledge of braised chicken are far beyond mine!"
"Sigh, I should have come here earlier like Megumi and tasted your cooking. Then I might have made it through the Autumn Selection preliminaries."
After speaking, Yuuki resumed eating the braised chicken.
Zane's braised chicken had a unique flavor, and she was surprised at the minimal use of spices.
Familiar spices like bay leaves, star anise, and fennel were missing.
But.
Oddly.
Despite fewer spices, it tasted great.
This revelation made Yuuki rethink her approach:
More spices don't necessarily mean better chicken.
...
In braised chicken.
Spices can be few, but the chicken flavor must be strong.
No matter the spices, they must complement and enhance the chicken's natural flavor.
Only then does the chicken's flavor stand out, becoming richer!
"Indeed."
"The spices used differ from the traditional recipe."
"Orange peel, cinnamon, cardamom, galangal, cloves, amomum, tsaoko, and angelica…"
"Among these, cardamom and tsaoko, amomum and orange peel, pair uniquely!"
"Cinnamon, galangal, and angelica are used more."
"These spices match and enhance the chicken's flavor."
Eating and analyzing Zane's braised chicken!
Yuuki was deeply impressed, understanding why Megumi's anglerfish curry hotpot won against 26 contestants.
While effort played a part, Megumi's inspiration from Zane's cooking was crucial!
...
In Totsuki Academy.
Competition is constant.
Student rivalries and conflicts make the academy feel suffocating and tense daily.
Thus, in such an environment.
Only by improving cooking skills can one survive!
That's why Yuuki hurried to the tavern after her defeat, bringing three-yellow chickens for Zane to make braised chicken.
...
The Nordic countries have cuisine too!
Mentioning Nordic cuisine, many think of Swedish meatballs or exotic ingredients!
But for Erina, nothing was more exciting than fresh seafood.
Indeed!
Knowing her daughter.
Ranked first in the preliminaries.
She was thrilled and decided to cook a delicious meal for Alice.
She prepared a cold shrimp tower, a dish created decades ago by the famous chef Tora Littman.
It's a tasty treat with shrimp mixed with other ingredients and spread on small bread slices!
The bread slices are lightly toasted and topped with salmon roe and dill.
When the crispy bread combines with the springy shrimp, the taste is wonderful, getting better with each bite. The salmon roe bursts with a fleeting fishy, salty, and fragrant flavor!
At this moment, Erina mixed cold shrimp, chopped onions, egg whites, and dill, adding mayonnaise.
She lightly fried white toast in clarified butter until golden, draining the oil.
She placed the shrimp mixture on the toast, garnishing with caviar and dill.
"OK, it's done!"
Admiring the finished cold shrimp tower.
Erina wiped her sweat, her delicate, beautiful face showing a faint smile.
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